BMC Choristers Update

Messages from the Music Team will appear here..........

St. Mary’s Church, Nolton

 Bridgend Male Choir

Conductor : John Jenkins

Accompanist : Glenn Crooks

Organist : Scott Williams

Compere : Gareth Davies

 Part 1

 Choir : Sounds Welsh

Llanfair                                                 Arranged Mansel Thoma                                 

Lisa Lan                                                           Arranged Brian Hughes

Tydi a Roddaist                                                Arwel Hughes

 Choir and Congregation                                Cwm Rhondda

 Organ Solo                                                     Selected

 Choir : Miscellany

My Lord What a Morning                                 Arranged R. Lee Gilliam

O Isis and Osiris                                               Mozart

Roman War Song                                             Wagner

 Soloist : Graham Collins                                Selected

 Choir : Bridgend Male Choir Top 10

Gwahoddiad                                                     Arranged Hartsough

Bring Him Home                                               Arranged Samuel

Morte Criste                                                     Emrys Jones

Finlandia

 Choir and Congregation                                You’ll Never Walk Alone

 Part 2

 Choir and Congregation                                O Come All Ye Faithful                    

 Choir

Every Time I Feel the Spirit                               Arranged Derek Jones

Sanctus                                                            Schubert

The Creation                                                    Richter : Edited John Jenkins                                        

Choir and Congregation                                Once in Royal David’s City 

                                                                       Songs of Angel Voices : Rachie

 Soloist                                                             Selected

 Choir                                                              

Pie Jesu (Soloist : Gwyn Williams)                     Karl Jenkins : Arranged John Jenkins

Benedictus                                                        Karl Jenkins : Arranged John Jenkins

 Organ Solo                                                     Selected

 Choir and Congregation                                While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks                                                                                        

Choir

Still, Still, Still (Soloist : Gareth Rees)    Arranged John Jenkins

 Soloists Choir and Congregation                  Unto Us a Boy is Born          

Mary’s Boy Child

(Soloist : Paul Carter)

Choir

Sei Hi Lwli Mabi                                              Arranged Emyr James

Sanctus                                                            Mansel Thomas

 Choir and Congregation                                Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Cwm Rhondda

Guide me, Oh thou great Jehovah. Pilgrim through this barren land.

I am weak, but Thou art mighty. Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.

Bread of heaven. Bread of heaven. Feed me now and ever more. Feed me now and ever more.

When I tread the verge of Jordon, bid my anxious fears subside.

Death of death, and hell’s destruction land me safe on Canaan’s side.

Songs, of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee. I will ever give to Thee.

 You’ll Never Walk Alone

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high and don’t be afraid of the dark.

At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet, silver, song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain though your tears be tossed and blown.

Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone. You’ll never walk alone.

Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain though your tears be tossed and blown.

Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone. You’ll never walk alone.

 O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem. Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels

O come let us adore him. O Come Let us adore Him. O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord.

Ye Lord we greet Thee, born this happy morning,

Jesu to Thee be glory given. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

O come let us adore him. O Come Let us adore Him. O come let us adore Him Christ the Lord.

 Once in Royal David’s City, stood a lowly cattle shed,

Where a mother laid her baby, in a manger for His head.

Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christe her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all;

And His shelter was a stable and His cradle was a stall.

With the poor the mean and lowly, live on earth our Saviour holy.

For He is our childhood pattern. Day by day like us He grew.

He was little weak and helpless; Tears and smile like us He knew.

And He feeleth for our sadness, and He shareth in our gladness.

Not in that poor, lowly stable, with the oxen standing by

We shall see Him, but in heaven, set at God’s right hand on high.

When like stars his children crowned, All in white shall wait around.

 Songs of angel Voices ring this Christmas Morn. Shepherds herald Jesus birth – a Boy is born.

Born to be our Saviour, born to be our King. Heav’n resounds with anthems as the angels sing:

Jesus Christ our Saviour, Lord Emanuel. In a manger born this day Noel, Noel.

See the virgin Mary, a stable all forlorn; And three wise men bringing gifts this Christmas morn.

Ox and asses lowing in that manger bare, as the songs of angel voices rend the air.

Jesus Christ our Saviour, Lord Emanuel. In a manger born this day Noel, Noel.

Jesus Christ our Saviour, Lord Emanuel. In a manger born this day Noel, Noel.

Hallelujah, hallelujah; praise the Lord Emanuel. Hallelujah, hallelujah; praise the Lord Noel, Noel.

While shepherd watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground.

The angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around.

 Solo Verses 2,3 & 4

 Thus spake the seraph and forthwith appeared a shining throng

Of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful throng

All glory be to god on high, and to the earth be peace.

Goodwill henceforth from heav’n to men begin and never cease.

Unto us a boy is born, King of all creation, Came He to a world forlorn,

 The Lord of every nation, the Lord of every nation.

 Verse 2 Solo

 Herod then with fear was filled. “A prince!” he said in Jewry.

All the little boys he killed at Beth’lem in His fury. At Beth’lem in his fury.

 Verse 4  Solo

 Omega and Alpha He, let the organ thunder.

While the choir with peels of glee doth rend the air asunder.

Marys’ Boy Child – Chorus only

Hark now hear the angels sing. “A new King born today,

And man will live forevermore because of Christmas day.

Trumpets sound and angels sing, listen to what they say.

That man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day

Hark the herald angels  sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”

Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies.

With the angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem !”

Hark the herald angels  sing, “Glory to the newborn king,

Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord.

Late in time behold Him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb.

Veiled in flesh the godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity.

Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Emanuel.

Hark the herald angels  sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”

Hail though heav’n born Prince of Peace. Hail the Son of righteousness.

Light and life to all He brings; risen with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays his glory by; born that man no more may die.

Hark the herald angels  sing, “Glory to the newborn king!”

St. Mary’s RC Church : December 4^th, 2009         

 Choir     Rachie                                    Benedictus (By Request)                    Tydi a Roddaist

Soloist

Choir     This Little Light of Mine     My Lord What a Morning     Lily of the Valley   Comrades in Arms

Organ Solo

School Choir 

Interval 

School Choir

Choirs and Audience                                          Hark the Herald angels Sing (Verses 1&3)

Soloist

Choir     Roman War Song                 O Isis and Osiris   Eli Jenkins’ Prayer   Pilgrims’ Chorus

Soloist`

Choir     Russian Picnic                      Memory                                                 Rhythm of Life

 Choirs and Audience          O Come All Ye Faithful (V1&3) You’ll Never Walk Alone, Hen Wlad

"Went to the Max Boyce Show and did not know there would be a choir. It was an unexpected pleasure. They were magnificent" - Graham

"Choir was very impressive and the soloist, Leon, excellent" - Carol

"Loved every minute of it & thought Speed Your Journey was wonderful. My neice thought the Choir was something special and believe me, she loves choirs & is very knowledgeable when it comes to music. Her favourite was Unchained Melody and You'll Never Walk Alone" - Sandra 

 "The Choir was very good & I was really impressed with the young accompanist, Laura" - Paul

"Had a phone call from an old school pal, a second tenor with Cwmbach MVC. Now here is a critic like no-one else. I thought - Oh God! He did not realise we were part of the Concert. His remarks were stunning and very professional. His favourite was Bring Him Home - he said to sing at that pitch with such tenderness was fantastic. He was over the moon. I asked if he had noticed a little error in one song. He replied that in all honesty he did not. He said that he went to enjoy the show not to look for faults, which I found hard to believe. He said if an error is made & the Choir recovers it is a sign of a very good choir & the quality of the teaching by its musical director" - BT

Thank you so much for your email and for a wonderful experience on Saturday night.  It was such a pleasure to sing with you all.  The choir make a glorious sound and I could hear every word- and in the Rhythm of Life that is not an easy achievement.  I really enjoyed listening to the choir items and it was a privilege to part of the occasion.

Rhiannon was outstanding in all the items and I am particularly grateful for her accompanying of my pieces.  It is rare to meet someone on the day of the concert and hit it off musically and otherwise but Rhiannon put me totally at ease and played so well it was as if we had played together for ages.  The choir members were so kind and went out of their way to make me feel welcome, all of which added to my ease and enjoyment of the performances and evening. 

Singing – The Voice Part 1 by Craig Yates 

The voice works using four factors;

• Posture (Instrument)
• Motor (Breathing)
• Vibrator (Vocal folds)
• Resonators (Throat, Mouth, Nose)
• Spend time getting focused on the body and the mind. Relax all body parts that have become tense. Tension not good for singing.

Body alignment.

·         Feet…8 inches/20 centimetres apart

·         Knees…Slightly bent

·         Thighs…push down on them in your mind

·         Pelvis…tucked in slightly

·         Chest…High and expanded

·         Chin…just below horizontal

·         Head…vertical and tall

·         Mind…engaged

·         Face…smiling

When told to stand up tall and breath in, most people will pull in their abdomen. This is wrong. You cannot look thin and take a good breath. Unless you experience expansion around your middle, you aren’t breathing correctly.

• Back Stretch. Get singers on edge of chair, bent forward with elbows on knees. Take deep breath. Should notice back expansion due to constricted abdominal area. Next put hands on lower back. Repeat. Next standing, leaning slightly forward. Finally standing straight, filling the entire middle. 
• Yawn and Sigh. Get singers to yawn and sigh. If no sigh, then sound is tight. If no yawn then the throat is closed.  
• Three areas for any vowel. Think the pear shape.

1. Vowel at the front, space at the front. Bright sound with no roundness
2. Vowel at the back, space at the back. Dark, woofy sound.
3. Vowel in the front, space at the back. Perfect.

Choral Singing Blending is a mixture of colour, vowels, pitch and resonance.

• Matching vowels. Five pure vowels (ee), (E), (ah), (o), (oo).
  • (ee)…lower chin, round lips, pull the ‘ee’ out of the crown of your head. Hand – pull above the head.
  • (E)…bring hand down in front of face and elongate the gesture.
  • (ah)…simply loosen the jaw, getting rid of tension.
  • (o)…pout the lips. Stroke the mouth
  • (oo)…pull the ‘oo’ as of through a straw.  
• Two fingers in your mouth. (a)
• One finger in your mouth. (o) 
• Legato singing.

1. Sing phrase on one vowel
2. Sing it on the vowels written
3. Add the consonants back in but only as punctuation.

• Tone Spinning. Every tone should have spin and shimmer. Caress the listener with sound, don’t assault them.

• Sing a chord. As you sing, mash their finger into their palm, singing a straight, colourless sound. Now repeat the chord, making a sound that mimics the finger gently caressing the palm and lightly spinning or vibrating.